By ERWIN CHLANDA
The Finke started pumping last night when thousands of people were in The Mall and on the council lawns, rubbing shoulders with the men and women who will contest the nation’s hardest and one of the fastest offroad races.
The number of bike entries stands at 616 and 132 drivers will compete on four wheels.
Toby Price, from NSW, the 2016 bike winner and second place getter in a Trophy Truck, will try to make it two firsts in an indefatigable effort to compete in four races in two days. He missed last year’s Finke because of injury.
Price (pictured) will be up against Shannon and Ian Rentsch in a Jimco Buggy who won last year – and in 2014 and 2015.
Tragically, last year’s bike winner, Daymon Stokie, 28, from Naracoorte, died in the Deep Well Enduro in January this year.
Scrutineering happens today and the prologue, to determine starting positions, tomorrow.
Sunday it’s down to Finke, and back to Alice on Monday.
Some 12,000 spectators usually enjoy the race, at the start / finish line in Alice Springs, or along the 229 km of desert track, celebrating an event almost entirely run by volunteers.
PHOTOS: Toby Price giving hundreds of autographs last night when bike stunts were part of the excitement for the crowd.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
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I think this is the best event the Alice has, in terms of bringing people to the town.
The only downside I think is the small prize money amounts. I know the government donate a lot of resources to the event. I just think it would benefit from a bigger prize pool too, and if the Finke mob can’t raise more money for this, maybe the old government could chuck a few thousand in and make it a real attraction people need to be at.
It is absolutely awesome that so many people compete with just the aim of self satisfaction in knowing they did it or bragging rights about their placing.
These people join the race sometime with great expense knowing they will never get a place on the podium. Good stuff all competitors!